Philosophers traditionally engage with metaphysical questions at the frontiers of physics by treating theories as putatively fundamental and complete. While this interpretative strategy sits uneasily with the limited success of past theories, it breaks down with the failure of our best current theories, Quantum Field Theories (QFTs), to consistently describe the world on the smallest scales. My dissertation examines how physicists' reconceptualization of successful theories as effective theories affects the epistemological and semantic foundations of the interpretative practice in physics. Chapter 1 offers a detailed analysis of renormalization theory, the set of methods that underwrite physicists' construction of empirically successful QFTs. Chapter 2 demonstrates that effective theories are not merely the only candidates left for scientific realists in QFT but also worth interpreting in realist terms. Chapter 3 shows that effective theories stand as a challenge for traditional approaches to scientific representation and realism in physics. I suggest that indexing truth to physical scales is the most promising way to account for the success of effective theories in realist terms. Chapter 4 develops the referential component of this proposal by taking a detour through the problem of referential failure across theory-change. I argue that to reliably assess referential success before theory-change, we need to index reference-fixing to the limited physical contexts where a given theory is empirically reliable.

Thesis. 1977. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Physics. / M̲i̲c̲ṟo̲f̲i̲c̲ẖe̲ c̲o̲p̲y̲ a̲v̲a̲i̲ḻa̲ḇḻe̲ i̲ṉ A̲ṟc̲ẖi̲v̲e̲s̲ a̲ṉḏ S̲c̲i̲e̲ṉc̲e̲. / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Sylvester James Gates, Jr. / Ph.D.

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in ful lment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 2017. / In this dissertation we tackle the question: is there an emergent Yang-Mills theory coming from the low energy description of branes and open strings? This new Yang-Mills theory has no connection to the original gauge symmetry of the CFT. We thus explore a large N but non-planar limit of the theory. This is done with new methods developed in group representation theory. A study the dilatation operator D in N = 4 SYM theory is done since its eigenvalue, the anomalous dimension, is mapped to the energy of the open string in the IIB string theory. The construction of the spherical harmonics from the harmonic expansion on the 3-sphere, S3, is done to understand the theory of the giant graviton's worldvolume. The light-front parton picture is examined, since it explains how one can \glue" single momentum modes together to obtain higher momentum modes, and we believe that this procedure is described dynamically using magnon bound states. Following from this, we work on determining the exact magnon bound state spectrum. Finally, we test our hypothesis and see if the spectrum of the bound states matches the harmonic spectrum from the harmonic expansion on the 3-sphere, S3. A non-trivial check is also performed to show that the bound state spectrum does indeed match the spectrum coming from N = 4 SYM. / LG2018

Quantum field theory (QFT) in curved spacetime treats a gravitational field as a classical background upon which quantum corrections may be computed. When couplings are assumed to be small, it is traditionally believed that perturbation theory yields trustworthy predictions about interacting quantum fields in such settings — this work asserts that this is not always the case. It is argued that perturbative predictions about evolution for very long times near a horizon are subject to problems of secular growth — ie. powers of small couplings come systematically together with growing functions of time. Such growth signals a breakdown of na ̈ıve perturbative calculations of late-time behaviour, regardless of how small ambient curvatures might be. Evidence is built that such breakdowns should be generic for gravitational fields, particularly those containing horizons. This work makes use of the Rindler horizon in flat Minkowski space to demonstrate an explicit example of such perturbative breakdown. A loop correction involving an IR/UV interplay is shown to result in a two-point correlation function which exhibits secular growth. This result is shown to parallel a breakdown occurring in finite temperature QFT, where problems of secular growth are known to occur. The problematic correction is then resummed, allowing for trustworthy late-time inferences. We conclude by discussing how this calculation may be relevant for predictions near black hole horizons. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Perturbation theory is an approximation technique widely used in the study of quantum field theory (QFT). In this work it is argued that the predictions of per- turbation theory can fail when used on a QFT living in a spacetime that contains an event horizon. This work focuses on perturbative breakdowns that occur after long lengths of time have passed, providing an explicit example in the simplest possible spacetime with an event horizon: Rindler space. It is argued that this breakdown may occur in more complicated settings.

We consider the possibility of semisimple tensor categories whose fusion rule includes exactly one noninvertible simple object, so-called near-group categories. Data describing the fusion rule is reduced to an abelian group G and a nonnegative integer k. Conditions are given, in terms of G and k, for the existence or nonexistence of coherent associative structures for such fusion rules (ie, solutions to MacLane's pentagon equation). An explicit construction of matrix solutions to the pentagon equations is given for the cases where we establish existence, and classification of the distinct solutions is carried out partially. Many of these associative structures also support (braided) commutative and tortile structures and we indicate when the additional structures are possible. Small examples are presented in detail suitable for use in computational applications. / Ph. D.

Axiomatic quantum field theory is one approach to the project of merging the special theory of relativity with that of ordinary quantum mechanics. The project begins with the postulation of a set of axioms. Axioms should be motivated by reasonable physical principles in a way that illustrates how a given axiom is true. Motivations are often grounded in the principles of the parent theories: ordinary quantum mechanics or the theory of special relativity. Amongst the set of axioms first proposed by Haag and Kastler in 1963 is the axiom of microcausality. Microcausality requires the observables of regions at space-like separation to commute. This thesis seeks to answer the question ‘What principles from the special theory of relativity or ordinary quantum mechanics motivate, or justify, accepting microcausality as an axiom?’ The first chapter will provide the necessary background to investigate this question and the second chapter will undertake that investigation. In conclusion, microcausality cannot be well-motivated by individual principles rooted in the special theory of relativity or ordinary quantum mechanics.

Axiomatic quantum field theory is one approach to the project of merging the special theory of relativity with that of ordinary quantum mechanics. The project begins with the postulation of a set of axioms. Axioms should be motivated by reasonable physical principles in a way that illustrates how a given axiom is true. Motivations are often grounded in the principles of the parent theories: ordinary quantum mechanics or the theory of special relativity. Amongst the set of axioms first proposed by Haag and Kastler in 1963 is the axiom of microcausality. Microcausality requires the observables of regions at space-like separation to commute. This thesis seeks to answer the question ‘What principles from the special theory of relativity or ordinary quantum mechanics motivate, or justify, accepting microcausality as an axiom?’ The first chapter will provide the necessary background to investigate this question and the second chapter will undertake that investigation. In conclusion, microcausality cannot be well-motivated by individual principles rooted in the special theory of relativity or ordinary quantum mechanics.

Resumo: Nesta dissertação começamos estudando modelos não-lineares com campos escalares reais em (1+1) dimensões do espaço-tempo plano no âmbito da teoria supersimétrica. Analisamos as implicações da preservação da simetria Z3 no âmbito de uma teoria que preserva a supersimetria. Procuramos por um possível ladrilhamento no plano das con - gurações, plano (Á; Â), ainda com supersimetria mas com uma maior riqueza em simetrias discretas. Para isso, propusemos o superpotencial W, cuja con guração dos mínimos do potencial e os setores topológicos BPS e não-BPS, no plano (Á; Â), apresentam uma estrutura com simetria discreta complexa, na qual está contida a simetria discreta Z2­Z2. Além disso, estudamos o comportamento das soluções topológicas através da variação dos valores de um parâmetro c0 associado à equação da órbita. Também estudamos modelos não-lineares com campos escalares reais acoplados à gravidade em (4+1) dimensões do espaço-tempo deformado. Consideramos alguns modelos que geram branas espessas (defeitos topológicos) onde a gravidade pode ser localizada. Nós achamos o valor da energia do campo escalar para todo modelo que gera brana espessa. Também estudamos a energia do sistema e sua relação com as equações de Bogomol'nyi e as Equações de Einstein. Finalmente, ampliamos a análise de um modelo com dinâmica não-canônica no cenário de mundos-brana. Neste caso, constatamos que, embora o modelo possuí uma dinâmica não-canônica, ele admite branas espessas que suportam localização de férmions sem massa / Abstract: In this dissertation we begin by studying non-linear models with real scalar elds in (1+1) dimensions of a space-time. Such models can be seen as the bosonic sector of a supersymmetric theory. We analyze the implications of the Z3 symmetry under a theory that preserves supersymmetry. We look for the necessary conditions to tile the con guration plane (Á; Â), by keeping the supersymmetry together with a great wealth of discrete symmetries. For this, we propose a superpotential W, whose con guration of minima of the potential and topological BPS and non-BPS solutions have a complex structure with discrete symmetry, as the Z2 ­ Z2 symmetry. Furthermore, we study the behavior of solutions of the equations by means of the orbit equation. Moreover, we study non-linear models with real scalar elds coupled to gravity in (4+1) dimensions. We consider some models that generate thick branes (topological defects) where gravity can be localized. We analyze the implications of the metric AdS5 and the minimum of the energy associated to the scalar elds, particularly in the region of the extra space coordinate where the energy density of matter is negative. We also study the energy of the system and its relationship to Bogomol'nyi and Einstein equations. Finally, we nish the analysis of thick branes in warped space-time by introducing a model which engenders a generalized dynamics for the scalar eld. We show that despite the non-canonical dynamics, such models engenders thick branes which can support localized massless fermions / Orientador: Marcelo Batista Hott / Coorientador: Alvaro de Souza Dutra / Banca: Julio Marny Hoff da Silva / Banca: Carlos Alberto Santos Almeida / Mestre

This report presents a selfcontained derivation of Hawking radiation, and discusses the consequent information loss paradox.

One of the exciting aspects of cosmology is to understand the period of `cosmic inflation' that powered the epoch of the Big Bang. Inflation has been very successful in explaining several puzzles of the standard big bang scenario. But the most important success of inflation is that it can explain the temperature fluctuations of cosmic microwave background and the large scale structures of the universe. Despite its great success, the details of the physics of inflation are still unknown. A large number of models of inflation successfully explain all the observations making it remarkably hard to distinguish between different models. We explore the possibility of differentiating between different inflationary models by studying two-point and three-point functions of primordial fluctuations produced during inflation. First, we explore possible constraints on the inflationary equation state by considering current measurements of the power spectrum. Next, we explore the possibility of a single field slow-roll inflationary model with general initial state for primordial fluctuations. The two-point and three-point functions of primordial fluctuations are generally computed assuming that the fluctuations are initially in the Bunch-Davies state. However, we show that the constraints on the initial state from observed power spectrum and local bispectrum are relatively weak and for slow-roll inflation a large number of initial states are consistent with the current observations. As the precision of the observations is increasing significantly, we may learn more about the initial state of the fluctuations in the near future. Finally, we explore the consistency relations for the three-point functions, in the squeezed limit, of scalar and tensor perturbations in single-field inflation that in principle can be used to differentiate between single-field and multi-field inflation models. However, for slow-roll inflation, we find that it is possible to violate some of the consistency relations for initial states that are related to the Bunch-Davies state by Bogoliubov transformations and we identify the reason for the violation. Then we discuss the observational implications of this violation. / text